Society

China Now World No.1 Hydropower Producer

The 2015 World Hydropower Congress revealed that Chinas installed hydropower capacity topped 300 million kw last year， ranking number one worldwide and accounting for one quarter of the global total. China plans to increase its installed hydropower capacity to 420 million kw by 2020.

According to the International Renewable Energy Development Report 2014， renewable resources contributed to 22.1 percent of electricity production in 2014， of which 85 percent was from hydraulics. This means hydropower constitutes 16 percent of the worlds electricity output. Based on a survey of Chinas water resources， the countrys potential for installed hydropower capacity is estimated at 694 million kw， equal to one sixth of the world total. So far， half of the capacity has been realized， leaving a huge potential to be tapped.

Chinese Tourists Spend Lavishly in the U.S.

According to the National Travel and Tourism Office of the U.S.， 2.188 million Chinese traveled to the U.S.， and spent US $23.77 billion there in 2014. Nine out of 10 Chinese tourists to the U.S. went on shopping sprees， forking out US $10，800 per head on average.

The 2014 Report on International Visitation to the United States shows that the main origin of foreign tourists to the U.S. is Canada. At 23 million， Canadian visitors account for 10 times that of tourists hailing from China， but their total spending of US $ 27.2 billion during trips is only slightly ahead of their Chinese counterparts.

The 2014 figure of Chinese travelers to the U.S. marks a 21 percent rise over 2013， and is five times that of 2007， when the number was only 397，000.

Anti-Drug Campaign Fruitful

Liu Yuejin， vice chief of the National Narcotics Control Commission， recently revealed at a meeting of the commission that the growth in the number of heroin addicts is slowing down； but the sheer number of addicts is huge， and their relapse rate remains high， imposing a great threat to society.

At the end of last year， Chinas registered drug addicts numbered more than 2.95 million， but the actual figure was estimated as in excess of 14 million. Of them the share of synthetic drug users has been rising sharply at an annual rate of 36 percent.

Last year China waged an antidrug campaign in 100 cities， eradicating narcotics production and trade and tracking drug sales over the Internet. The results were unprecedentedly fruitful： 146，000 criminal cases have been cracked， 69 tons of narcotics confiscated， and 169，000 suspects arrested.endprint

China Publishes Military Strategy White Paper

China issued the white paper Chinas Military Strategy in May， outlining a plan unifying strategic defense and operational and tactical offense. It underscored “the principles of defense， self-defense and post-emptive strikes，” adding that China “will not attack unless we are attacked， but we will surely counterattack if attacked.”

In response to the evolving form of modern warfare and national security requirements， emphasis will be placed on “winning informationized local wars.”The armed forces will become adept at carrying out operations based on information technology， the paper said. They will also strengthen international security cooperation in areas considered especially important to Chinas overseas interests.

The paper goes on to highlight four critical security domains： the ocean， outer space， cyberspace， and nuclear force. China opposes a space arms race and vows to secure its space assets. The paper also emphasizes that China will never enter into a nuclear arms race and pledges to continue to contribute to world peace. Chinas armed forces will lend more international peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance under the plan.

While this is the ninth defense white paper issued by China since 1998， it is the first to narrow in specifically on strategy rather than the broader facts and figures of the countrys military.

Activity

Laurent Maur -- Whisper on the Lips

Date： July 5， 2015

Place： Guangzhou Opera House

Price： RMB 80/180/280

Born in Paris in 1970， Laurent Maur began playing the harmonica at the age of 17 in various blues and rock groups. In the 1990s， he decided to specialize in jazz harmonica. He won the Trossingen International Harmonica Competition in Germany in 2001. Laurent Maur has recorded several albums in various styles and also regularly performs at jazz festivals， notably in Biarritz and Salon de Provence.

Ghost The Musical

Date： July 12-18

Place： Chongqing Grand Theater

Price： RMB 180/280/480/680/880/1080/1280

The film Ghost received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture in 1991. The iconic scene of the main characters either side of a potters wheel as the song“Unchained Melody” plays are unforgettable. The musical is directed by Matthew Warchus and is adapted for the stage by the films scriptwriter Bruce Joel Rubin. Christopher Nightingale is the musical supervisor and Ashley Wallen the shows choreographer.endprint